108 



THE PREDECESSORS OF THE 



in Council was empowered to superintend the other Presi- 

 dencies, who were to obey his orders if not repugnant to 

 instructions from England. Provision was made for " a just 

 principle of promotion amongst the covenanted servants of 

 the Company in India on their Civil Establishment.' ' 

 Eeceiving gifts by any British subject holding any employ- 

 ment under the King or the Company in the East Indies 

 was declared to be a misdemeanor ; provided always that 

 nothing in the Act contained should extend to prevent 

 any person exercising the profession of Counsellor-at-law, 

 Physician, or Surgeon, or any Chaplain, from taking or 

 receiving fees, gratuities, or rewards (bond fide) in the way 

 of his profession only. 72 The provision of the 24 Geo. Ill, 

 c. 25, that all His Majesty's subjects should be amenable to 

 Courts of Justice in Great Britain and India for offences 

 committed in the territories of Native Princes, was re-enacted. 

 No British subjects were to be allowed to reside more than 

 ten miles from a principal settlement without a special 

 license in writing. Any subject of His Majesty who not 

 being lawfully licensed or authorized should go to or be 

 found in the East Indies was declared to be guilty of a high 

 crime and misdemeanor, and might be arrested and sent to 

 England for trial. The Governor- General, Governors, and 

 Members of Council of the several Presidencies were pro- 

 hibited from trading except on account of the Company, and 

 the Judges of the Supreme Court from being concerned in 

 any trade or traffic whatever. Power was given to the 

 Governor- General in Council to appoint such and so many of 

 the Covenanted Servants of the Company or other British 

 inhabitants, as he should think properly qualified, to act as 

 Justices of the Peace for Bengal, Madras and Bombay, but 

 such J ustices were not to sit in Courts of Oyer and Terminer 



72 A similar provision and exception was contained in the 13 Geo. Ill, 

 c. 63, ss. 23, 24, 25 ; and S. 3 and 4 "W. IV, c. 85, s. 76. 



